Warning: SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season episode 5 AND Fire & Blood ahead.House of the Dragon episode 6 showed that the truth about Rhaenyra's children was common knowledge in King's Landing, but Viserys strangely refused to believe the truth, defending Rhaenyra at every turn. House of the Dragon's biggest time jump yet introduced Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) grown children along with Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) children from her marriage to Laenor Velaryon. While Laenor and Rhaenyra's marriage officially producing three heirs made Viserys happy, especially as Rhaenyra was shown to be trying to mend her relationship with Alicent, the latter never buried the hatchet with Viserys' firstborn, seeing her as even more defiant and disrespectful than ever.
House of the Dragon episode 6, "The Princess and the Queen," showed how the years only emboldened Alicent in her aversion to Rhaenyra. One of Viserys and Alicent's earliest scenes together in episode 6 had Alicent complain about how Rhaenyra having Harwin Strong's children was an insult both to the crown and House Velaryon, risking everyone's good work in trying to secure the Velaryons support after the relationship between them and House Targaryen became strained. When Viserys refused to heed her warning, Alicent turned to Criston Cole and Larys Strong to be supported in her hate of Rhaenyra and her actions, support that Larys Strong provided in a way that could serve him in the future, as he killed his own father and brother to help Queen Alicent.
The way Alicent spoke relatively freely about Rhaenyra's children's true parentage makes it clear that the subject an open secret. However, throughout House of the Dragon episode 6, Viserys refused to accept the truth, even telling Alicent a story about how nature worked mysteriously. Viserys not wanting to address the issue would make sense, as even entertaining the thought could cause strife with House Velaryon, with which the Targaryens already had problems, and cast doubt over Rhaenyra's legitimacy as his heir to the Iron Throne. However, Viserys' speech also highlighted how he truly believed what he said, showing that he was somewhat blinded by his love and trust in his daughter Rhaenyra besides accepting the most convenient truth. This approach was even proved by how jolly he was at Rhaenyra's proposal to marry off one of her sons to his and Alicent's Helaena as a gesture of goodwill, proving that Viserys always gave Rhaenyra the benefit of the doubt.
How The Targaryens Protect Rhaenyra From The Harwin Strong Rumors
Rumors about Harwin Strong being Rhaenyra's children's true father even reached George R.R. Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood, which informs House of the Dragon's story and was purposefully written as a Westerosi history book. According to Fire & Blood, all Targaryens protected Rhaenyra from the rumors. When Corlys Velaryon's nephews questioned the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children, Viserys chose to protect her daughter by letting them keep their heads but removing their tongues "for this insolence." Rhaenyra wasn't as merciful as Viserys, as she instructed Daemon to behead Vaemond Velaryon, Corlys' older nephew, and feed his body to Syrax the dragon after Vaemond refused to accept that House Velaryon's seat could potentially pass to Lucerys on the grounds that he was Harwin Strong's illegitimate son.
Viserys' refusal to believe the rumors don't just reflect his goodwill toward Rhaenyra, as he told Alicent that "the consequences of an allegation like the one you toy at would be dire," all but confirming that he objected even acknowledging the rumors because of the consequences. House of the Dragon episode 6 clearly showed Viserys not being blissfully unaware of Rhaenyra's actions but still choosing time and time again to protect Rhaenyra and give her the benefit of the doubt. His and, more generally, the Targaryen's tendency to defend their own already played a big part in House of the Dragon's quarrels, but going forward, it will play an even bigger role as the Targaryen civil war draws near.
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